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The Defenders Villains Tie Together Previous Marvel/Netflix Series

It won't just be the heroes of Marvel's Netflix series joining forces for The Defenders, as the shows' various villains will also be coming together for the upcoming miniseries. While we've known about The Defenders for years, what threat the combined team would face has been a source for debate. Last year finally brought word that Sigourney Weaver would be playing the mysterious Alexandra, but all we really know is that she's some sort of corporate titan. Like Wilson Fisk, Nobu, and Harold Meachum, there's clearly more to her than that.

After months of teases, the presence of Elektra, Stick, and likely the Hand was confirmed with the official trailer for The Defenders. Add in the news that the Chaste, enemies of the Hand in the Marvel comics, will be properly debuting in the upcoming show, and the presence of the evil ninjas is all but guaranteed. Given their connection to both Daredevil and Iron Fist, not to mention connecting thread Claire Temple, and it's not hard to imagine them being the canon fodder for our heroes. But with so many heroes coming together for the new show, it's going to take a lot more than Alexandra and the Hand to pose a threat.

In a new interview with TV Guide, Mike Colter finally provides some context for the villains the Defenders will be facing, and it looks like they'll be taking a cue from the heroes themselves:

“The villains that we’re dealing with are a combination of several entities, um, and they all have something to do with our separate stories that have played out in each of our own individual series. So this has been going on for a while. It wasn’t obvious in each individual series, but in this series you’ll find out that the things that happened to all of us basically were all because of one entity and that’s what’s gonna kind of tie things together and then we’ll see that, we’ll understand that, and before you know it, eventually we’ll fight together or not.”

Following Iron Fist season one, it's felt safe to assume the Hand and Madame Gao will continue to connect the Marvel/Netflix shows and pose a threat. After all, the real estate plot that began in season one of Daredevil has yet to come to fruition. With Colter's words, however, we get our first hint that Jessica Jones and Luke Cage are somehow connected by The Hand, too.

For Jessica, the most likely tie would be the mysterious organization linked to her powers. While that group should be explored in the upcoming Jessica Jones season two, it's probable that her investigation into them leads her to meet up with the other Defenders. For Luke, the connection is less clear. There's a chance that Mariah Dillard or Diamondback were being puppeted by the forces connected to Gao, but there's not much evidence so far. Based on Colter's comments however,, it's clear that the threats and forces at play in each of the shows will give the heroes more than enough reasons to join forces and defend New York.

The Defendersarrives on August 18th, with The Punisher coming later this year. Daredevil seasons 1 and 2, Jessica Jones season 1, Luke Cage season 1, and Iron Fist season 1 are now available on Netflix. Premiere dates for the next seasons of Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and Luke Cage have not yet been revealed.